Dan Walker says former colleague Huw Edwards is 'clearly not in a good place'

Dan Walker has raised awareness of Huw Edwards' mental health amid accusations the journalist paid a teenager for sexually explicit images.

Edwards was named by his wife, Vicky Flind, as the BBC presenter suspended over allegations of paying a teenager up to £35,000 for sexually explicit images.

After naming her husband, Flind also shared the update on the 61-year-old newsreader, saying he is currently 'receiving in-patient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future' as a result of 'suffering from serious mental health issues'.

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In a statement released to PA News Agency, Flind responded to the speculation which occurred as a result of a report released by The Sun newspaper alleging a male BBC presenter had paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for explicit photographs - the teenager's parents claiming this money funded a drug habit.

Flind said she was speaking out 'primarily out of concern for [Edwards'] mental well-being and to protect [their] children'.

She continued: "Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.

"The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.

BBC

"Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday."

Now, in a post on Twitter, 5 News presenter Walker - who previously worked alongside Edwards on BBC Breakfast - reflected on the 'awful situation' and noted it 'will come as a big shock to many'.

He continued: "Huw Edwards is clearly not in a good place at the moment and this must be terrible for his family.

"I just hope that whoever needs help - on all sides of this - gets the time, space & support they need to heal."

Edwards was suspended from his position at the BBC after the allegations first arose in The Sun - his suspension confirmed to staff and the media earlier this month (9 July).

Twitter/@mrdanwalker

A full statement from the BBC reads: "The BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations.

"This is a complex and fast moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps.

"It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care."

The Metropolitan Police has since said no criminal offence has been committed.

Although, three BBC employees have now come forward claiming Edwards sent them messages which made them feel uncomfortable.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone